US website accessibility case could have UK implications

The settling of a landmark website accessibility case in the USA could have implications for the UK's online sector, it has been noted.

American retailer Target has agreed to make its internet pages more accessible to blind users after a class action case was brought against it by the National Federation of the Blind.

Lawyers are now noting that the deal, which will result in the chain paying out up to $6 million (£3.4 million) in compensation, could be used by bodies in the UK to champion the issue.

According to the sector commentators, many firms are ignoring the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act and running websites which are not easily read by speech software used by blind people to utilise the internet, the Telegraph notes.

The news follows recent assertions by sector commentator Ann Smarty, who wrote on web resource Search Engine Journal that accessibility standards should be explored and instigated as part of a firm's search engine optimisation strategy.